Popular greens this summer in Foshan | Amazing Foshan
2021-05-19 09:26
 
立夏已至,讲究“不时不食”的佛山人有口福了!大顶苦瓜、朗沙笋、石碣西瓜应节而上。
As early summer has already arrived, for Foshan foodies who have preference for eating seasonal food, Dading bitter gourd, Langsha bamboo shoot and Shijie watermelon that only exist in summer, undoubtedly, are their first choices on dinner tables. 

爽口甘甜的大顶苦瓜
由1变120+道佳肴
Crisp and sweet Dading bitter gourd can be made into over 120 dishes.
 
 
 
大顶苦瓜盛产于狮山谭边村,因其外观“顶大身短”,形似青椒得名,有常规绿瓜与白玉瓜两个品种。
Abundant in Tanbian Village, Shishan Town in Foshan, Dading bitter gourd got the name for its appearance of “big top and short body”. “Dading”, in Chinese, means “something or someone with a big head”. Dading bitter gourd can be classified into two varieties: green melons and white jade ones.
 
 
传统苦瓜味苦涩,而谭边独有的土质让生长出来的大顶苦瓜含糖量高,吃起来更为厚肉、爽口、甘甜,且下火功效强大。
Common bitter gourds taste bitter, while Dading bitter gourds that grow from the unique soil of Tanbian Village have high sugar content, so they taste sweeter and crisper with more powerful medical function to diminish internal heat.
 
每天清晨5-6点是大顶苦瓜的采摘佳期,新鲜摘下的大顶苦瓜,会马上被送到附近的食肆进行加工,烹煮成各式各样的美味佳肴。
Every morning at 5-6 is the best time to pick Dading bitter gourds. Freshly-picked Dading bitter gourds will then be immediately sent to restaurants nearby for processing and cooking into various delicacies.
 
 
煎、炒、焖、炸、灼……“大顶苦瓜宴”早已声名远播。每年夏季,八方饕客纷至沓来,只为那一口“苦尽甘来”的独特味道!
Dading bitter gourds, after being fried, sauteed, stewed, deep-fried and poached, are made into various dishes to compose the widely-known “Dading bitter gourd Feast”. Every summer, groups and groups of foodies from all over flock to Tanbian Village only for the special bittersweet taste!
 
狮山朗沙笋上市
鲜甜爽脆又无渣
Bamboo shoots from Langsha Village, Shishan Town is on market now
Fresh, sweet and tasty
 
“未吃过笋粥,未到过狮山罗村。”谷雨过后,狮山朗沙笋陆续开挖上市,一直持续到10月份!
There is a local saying going that anyone who hasn’t eaten bamboo congee doesn’t count as having been to Luocun, Shishan Town. After Grain Rain which falls on April 19, 20 or 21 every year, Langsha bamboo shoots will be one after another dug out and sent to market for sale, until October!
 
朗沙南星是远近驰名的“沙口笋之乡”,因竹笋生在位于三江交汇冲积形成的河滩地沙口而得名。数百年来,村民开发了笋的N种做法,炒、煮、焖、煲……都能把笋的原汁原味完美地熬制出来。
Nanxing, Langsha Village, located in a sandy alluvial floodplain formed by the confluence of three rivers, is one of the best places to grow bamboo shoots. Therefore, bamboo shoots there are named as Shakou bamboo shoots and Nanxing is known as “the home of Shakou bamboo shoots” (Shakou in chinese means “sandy floodplain”). For hundreds of years, the local there has explored many cooking ways that all preserve the original taste of bamboo shoots.
 
牛腩焖笋 beef stewed with bamboo shoots
 
正宗的朗沙笋外表金黄,内如玉琢,食之爽甜鲜嫩,是竹笋中难得的美味,不妨过去品尝那一口鲜甜吧。
Bamboo shoots from Langsha Village, golden outside and jade-like inside; sweet in taste and tender in texture, are of high quality. Why not come and have a taste?
 
开笋时,先在笋身处竖切划一刀,再从笋尖往下剥即可。
When peeling the bamboo shoots, one should cut the bamboo shoots vertically first and then peel them down from the tip.
 
石碣西瓜靓
甘甜又多汁
Sweet and juicy Shijie watermelons will come into market soon 
 
通常在五月下旬,石碣西瓜就会迎来成熟季。走进南海狮山石碣村、吴屋村的乡野间,绿油油的西瓜田仿佛织了一张巨大绿毯美了一方水土。
Shijie Watermelons are normally ripe in late May. When taking a walk in Shijie Village and Wuwu Village, Shishan Town in Nanhai District, you will definitely be impressed by a stunning landscape of an extensive watermelon field, which is just like a nicely-knitted, green carpet.
 
 
瓜田里所种的就是远近驰名的“石碣西瓜”,品种多样。按照瓜瓤的颜色,又可分为红肉瓜和黄肉瓜。
The watermelons there are called Shijie watermelons, which are widely-known in Foshan. Besides, they can be divided into several varieties in terms of pulp color: red and yellow.
 
 
其中,最清甜多汁的金钟西瓜往往能长到至少10斤以上,也有不少能长到20-30斤,可谓是西瓜中的“重量级选手”!
Among all these varieties, Jinzhong watermelons, one of the most sweet and juicy one, can normally grow to at least 5 kilograms or more. Some can even grow to 10-15 kilograms.
 
 
瓜肉起沙的黄肉瓜更是“石碣西瓜”中的一大特色,村内种植的品种多为麒麟王。咬上一口,口感仿佛在喝西瓜冰沙,甘甜多汁又有口感,爽!
What’s more, the granular texture of yellow pulp is one of the characteristics of Shijie watermelons. Qilinwang watermelons, for example, a variety that grows the most in the village, are of yellow pulp. When taking a bite, you may feel like you are drinking sweet, tasty watermelon smoothies!
 
 
敲打西瓜,声音为“噗噗”的浑厚浑厚响声,说明瓜已成熟可摘、甜度高。吃西瓜之前,建议先用凉水浸泡或放冰箱,风味更佳。
Tips: the deep, sonorous sound by tapping watermelons indicates that they are ripe and sweet. It is recommended to soak them in cold water or put in the fridge for a while for a better taste before eating.
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立夏当下,各位快快走起来尝尝舌尖上的佛山美味吧!
Summer has already arrived, let’s taste the seasonal greens in Foshan!
 
Author | Ivy
Revisor | Jersey, Jessica, Eleanor, Blair
Photo | Foshan News Network